Monday, 15 February 2010

As, in so many other parts of the countryside, we are continuing to have freezing temperatures, which create beautiful winter scenes. Although our ponds are beginning to thaw, we still have an avalanche of pristine snow, which slithered off the high-pitched roof of our outhouse bringing down tall shrubs in its wake.

Winter Sunset

Each season offers its own joy and, none more so than, a glorious Winter sunset at the close of a crisp, frosty day. What better way to end these shivering days than by coming indoors for a bowl of home-made soup, and curling up afterwards on the sofa with a good book? That is often the time when I drool over garden catalogues and make plans for the coming season.

Flock Of Pigeons

For the past month, as the snow has receded, we have been watching hundreds of pigeons foraging amongst the left-over grain in the field behind Barleycorn. On most days we have observed flock upon flock joining together till they form a large cloud and begin wheeling overhead before, eventually, settling down together for safety.

Pigeons Behind The Weathervane At Barleycorn

Suddenly, without warning, they will take to the air, making a loud commotion, and circle the field for a long time before landing again. If we are sharp-eyed, we might be lucky enough to catch a glimpse of a Sparrowhawk chasing after one of them. When it makes a kill, the pigeons fly off, while the Sparrowhawk begins to de-feather its prey.

Female Sparrowhawk On A Silver Birch Tree

Due to the large numbers of pigeons and smaller birds searching for food during this exceptionally cold Winter, we have been fortunate enough to see the Sparrowhawk on several days each week. However, if she catches sight of us, she is off and out of sight as quickly as she appeared.

Blue Tits At The Weathervane Feeder

When we participated in the RSPB's Big Garden Birdwatch earlier this month, they were astounded when we recorded the numbers of pigeons we were observing until we filled in further information explaining that our garden overlooked a field.

First Snowdrops At Barleycorn

Isn't Nature wonderful? No matter how many degrees below freezing they have endured, no matter how prolonged the snowy blanket under which they lay, the sturdy snowdrops - with their small green bodices, their ballet gowns and heads like fallen drops of snow - have survived all that Winter has thrown at them and come through triumphantly. Does that not make your heart sing and leap for joy?xxxxxxx

In my little video called Flocks Of Pigeons, the accompanying music is Track 17 from my CD called A Garden Of Music. Most of the birds are pigeons with some starlings, jackdaws and crows for company.

62 comments:

Dear Wildlife Gardener....What a wonderful spectacle. So many pigeons.....we have quite a few in the field opposite but nowhere near your numbers. I was delighted to see a flock of lapwing fly over last week. Such pretty birds in flight, now that really did make my heart sing.

Snowdrops always look so fragile and yet they are as tough as old boots. They rarely fail to bloom.

Many lovely photographs....tku. I expect, like many of us, you are looking forward to spring .......

It does make my heart sing to read your lyrical ode to snowdrops. They are beautiful--more so because they herald the first hints of spring. I enjoyed watching your flocks of birds reap the fields behind Barleycorn to such lovely music. Thank you!

I enjoyed seeing the birds and the snowdrops here today. We have had a mild Winter by our standards, but it will be some time before we see anything growing. There are few birds around. I did see Cardinals the other day which was a huge boost to my spirits.

Beautiful! Snowdrops are one of my favourite flowers - I think I'll go back to the botanic gardens on Wednesday to see if the ones there have opened up more.

I made a pot of soup this evening, too, although it's starting to feel more and more like spring! I'm heading for Northern Ireland this weekend for a brief visit - I'm hoping for a couple of long walks in the countryside!

I do love the snowdrops, too! I remember your photos from last year(?), and I love the crocus too, which pushes through no matter the weather, to brighten our day. The pigeons are beautiful. Again, I really do love your posts, and am always excited to see a new one up! xoxo

* I am so glad of your company, Morning glories in Round Rock, in the garden today, and for your gracious comments :)

When I was a child my mother dressed me as a snowdrop for a Brownie Hallowe'en party using white and green crepe paper. i won first prize for originality and snowdrops have been my favourite spring bulbs ever since :)

You're so right, every season has its own joy and beauty (as we could see in your pictures!). And I can feel your thankfulness when seeing again the first snowdrops. We actually are still waiting for them as our garden is covered with snow and ice. But Spring is on its way...soon it will be March and then...hopefully we are acting again in our gardens. I enjoyed this long and hard winter.....once again a real winter ! However I don't like the thought of having lost plants which will obviously be the case as temperatures were so many weeks below 0°C. Let's wait and see!Stay warm !Barbara

There is something so soothing about looking at the blanket of winter from some one elses door front!~smile~for here, my heart longs for the first green buds of lifes renewal, winter it seems still hold us all in it's icy grasp...

Totally surprised to see that cat. I assume it is either de-clawed or doesn't belong to you. Or maybe it is a feral cat. We have an indoor cat that is never out. The cats that show up are shot at with a BB gun and a lot of racket to make sure they don't come back.

Cats kill more songbirds in the US than any other natural or unnatural predator. I just read that.

You Little Corner of Paradise is just that.... What a beautiful array of pictures to feast our eyes one.

Thanks for your visit... and I do wish you would pick up your paint brushes again... I so enjoyed your artwork when you were posting it.

After my bout with cancer last year, I decided this year would be a year of more art, so I created my Art Blog, called My Laundry Room Studio, (the only place in this little house I can find to paint) and it is for my art, and any fellow artists who want to join in. You can find it on my sidebar!

Let me know when you paint and post...I will add you to the list of artist in my blog.

Ahh... so beautiful. The geese are amazing and I love the video. And yes, it always amazes me to see the green shoots pushing their way up through the hardened, frozen ground just at the right time. Thanks for sharing these bits of loveliness.

Yes nature is wonderful isn't it. Hey I just found out that my english ancestor came from surrey and I thought I would ask you if you know that area and what is it like. I did look it up but didn't find many pictures except for the church where he was christened, which as been there since before the 1500's Cool eh. Nothing like that age in this country.

The sky was black with the flocks all wheeling about together, Shirl, and they come every day now. We used to have thousands of Greylag Geese and hundreds of Starlings congregating in this area. Now we have less Geese and hardly any Starlings...but heaps of Pigeons :)

I seem to be the only person I know who is still enjoying the cold Winter days...though I am looking forward to the Spring too :)

Dear W.G, I always risk repeating myself when I am tempted to say that you have an awesome way of presenting nature. We all are surrounded by nature but the way you enjoy it is so complete...so wholesome... that it always is a nice warm feeling to read your posts.

Very pretty pictures :D I'm kind of new to the photography scene, but I like what I see! Nature is so gorgeous :D I would love to get into photography. I generally stick to poetry, as my blog is entirely limericks.

Its a pleasure to find you on blogspot. I have to thank LindaMay for sending me over here to read about BarleyCorn. It looks so beautiful especially with a covering of snow and you have such a beautiful landscape to photograph as well as being a good steward.

Happy March!It has been an amazing winter at my house too. Lots of snow.The birds do come out in huge numbers when it is cold and the grounds are snow covered.Your snow drops are lovely....Sweet Spring is just around the corner...I can feel her wakening.Sherry

Good morning Wildlife Gardener! How wonderful it's been to catch up with you this morning. I love your attitude toward winter ~ I need to revisit often, maybe it will be contagious! You do have some beautiful photos of all the snow you've been getting. What a winter! We've had it here too ~ although not so much snow as cold, cold, cold.I planted snowdrops for the first time last fall and now they're blooming here too. I'm so glad I did ~ those early blooms are really helping me think spring is coming. I enjoyed all your bird photos too except maybe that sparrowhawk! I've had one and a sharp-shinned hawk eating from my garden all winter. I know it's the way of nature but I guess I prefer not to see it unfold in front of me. Happy March to you ~ soon the tadpoles will be back, right?

About Me

In 1990, as we were driving through a little village, I noticed a quaint old barn with a corrugated roof, and a newly-built house adjacent to it. They were standing on a large plot of land, full of pernicious weeds - a corner of a farmer's field, in fact. Then we saw the "For Sale" sign. Four months later we moved in and decided to create a garden for wildlife.
contact me